Transcript

18-year-old taken by shark in Adelaide

PM - Thursday, 16 December , 2004 17:38:00

Reporter: Nance Haxton

MARK COLVIN: An 18-year-old man is missing, presumed dead after being taken by a shark off a suburban beach in Adelaide this afternoon. Police have now confirmed the man was wave riding with friends when the shark attacked. His friends managed to return to the beach and raise the alarm, but neither the shark nor the man have been seen since.

Nance Haxton joins us from the scene. Nance, can you tell us what happened?

NANCE HAXTON: Yes, Mark, I'm outside the South Australian Sea Rescue. Unfortunately it does seem that this man has been taken and in the words of the chief inspector David Lusty it was very quick and quite horrific.

There was nothing left but a pool of blood. He was wave riding with friends, being towed on a board behind a boat with three other friends and unfortunately two sharks were involved and one of those sharks did take him from that board.

His other three friends did manage to get back into the boat and get back to the beach, but unfortunately that is the last sighting of the man and the shark.

MARK COLVIN: Has this happened before so close to Adelaide?

NANCE HAXTON: No, and West Beach is a very popular suburban beach, very close to the city. It's certainly going to send shockwaves right through this community, and all metropolitan beaches in Adelaide have now been closed.

MARK COLVIN: There were a couple of shark attacks, I remember, back in 2000 I think, off South Australia. But that was far further over on the… in the west of the state, in the Great Australian Bight, I think.

NANCE HAXTON: Yes, that's right, Mark and also often the shark attacks have been during diving or those sorts of activities. Really, this is the only one in recent memory that it's been in a recreational activity like this, on a hot summer's day.

There are already people standing from the South Australian Rescue Squad, looking out to sea, looking quite despondent. It's quite a sad situation here at the beach.

MARK COLVIN: And quite often there is a reaction where people want the shark hunted down. Is that happening?

NANCE HAXTON: The police have said that they are searching for the shark, but they have not decided as yet what will be done when they have discovered this, that is the shark, but it seems that really they're concentrating on getting the stories from his three friends, who thankfully did make it back to shore.

MARK COLVIN: Nance Haxton, on West Beach in Adelaide, thanks very much.